Definition
The expected route of flight from the aircraft's current position forward along its planned course, used by ATC and pilots to anticipate where the aircraft will be over the next portion of the flight.
Plain English
Where your aircraft is heading next, based on the route you're already flying.
Context Anchor
Seen in IFR route planning and air traffic control discussions, including Tower En Route Control, where controllers need to know the route an aircraft is expected to follow through their airspace.
Derivation
From Latin proiectus, meaning 'thrown forward.' A projected path is the route 'thrown forward' from where the aircraft is now -- the line the flight is expected to follow next.
Why Pilots Care
Helps controllers predict where an aircraft will be and issue timely traffic advisories or vectors to prevent conflicts.
Intuition Check
Do not read “projected” as meaning guessed with no basis. Here, it means expected from known information such as the clearance, route, heading, or flight plan.
Example Sentence 1
The controller checked the aircraft's projected path before clearing a crossing aircraft through the same altitude.
Example Sentence 2
Based on the projected path, the pilot received a vector to stay clear of the approach corridor.